Dak Drikwood looked out across the rows of abandoned houses. The sun was setting in the distance, and the sky was glowing orange as the last rays disappeared below the horizon. There was a stillness in the air. The ominous silence that thrived in the area outside the wall always sent chills down Dak’s spine. He gripped the handle of his scrapshot tighter. Although raids on the Phanes Wall were rare, the Barren Legion required that all patrolling soldiers carry a weapon. But Dak’s scrapshot was no standard issue legion equipment. He traced his hand over the carvings in his weapon, the initials of his three sisters. He smiled, he was proud to serve in the legion if it meant protecting them.
Dak wondered how long it would be until another settlement made an open attack against the wall. He hoped he’d be on patrol that day to protect his city. There was no time to dwell on it though. The sun had set, which meant that the electric vehicles would return soon.
Dak made his way along the wall to the front gates of the city. There he found Jess Vannar waiting for him by the guard shack. He climbed down from the wall and approached her.
“Hey Jess,” he said, “I take it my gloves are repaired?”
Jess smiled, reaching into her bag she produced a pair of leather gloves and presented them to Dak.
“Obviously,” She said with a smile, “I had some extra material left over, so I’ve added extra padding to the knuckles, so you won’t bruise them while training.”
Dak took the gloves from Jess and put them on. He stretched his fingers inside them, then balled his right hand into a fist and punched into his other hand to test the padding.
“Wow, thanks Jess,” he said. “I knew I could count on you. Are we still planning to hang out next week for the festival?”
As they were talking the sound of a car horn blaring sounded from the other side of the wall. Three legion soldiers rushed out from the guard shack to open the gates as the electric cars approached the city. As the gates were thrown open a woman emerged from the guard shack. She was old, dressed in green religious garb with a wrinkled face that looked as it it hadn’t smiled in years.
Dak turned to Jess. “Actually, let’s talk later Jess, I don’t think you want to see this.”
Jess shook her head, “No, I will watch. I know what’s going to happen, turning a blind eye won’t change it.”
As she spoke, the first electric vehicle drove through the gates. The sky was now dark so the headlights of the car cast eerie shadows along the road. Its rusting brakes screeched as it came to a halt. The three soldiers nearest the car walked to the side and threw the door open.
As Dak and Jess looked on, the soldiers pulled a woman from the back seat. She was bound with rope and her mouth had been gagged. Her eyes were wide in terror and she struggled against her bonds as the soldiers dragged her out into the street. Jess gasped as the soldiers forced the woman to kneel on the ground. As for Dak, he had already seen these events play out before and had become desensitized to them. All he had to do was wait to do his part of the job.
The priestess in green stepped towards the woman, her expression never changing. She pulled a lighter from her pocket and sparked it. She used the flame to shine a soft light onto the woman’s face. The priestess used her other hand to hold the woman’s head in place as she continued to struggle.
The priestess looked into her eyes for a while before reaching up and grabbing the woman’s hair. Jess winced behind Dak as the priestess yanked a clump of hair from the woman’s head. The woman let out a terrified scream which could only barely be heard through her gag.
The priestess held the lighter beneath the strands, allowing them to catch fire. She allowed them to burn for a few seconds before tossing them to the ground.
“She will bear three children,” said the priestess, “Tell the doctors that she will die on the fourth, the child’s fate is unknown.”
With that the priestess turned and walked away. More soldiers arrived with a chariot and the woman was loaded inside. The driver cracked his whip and the horse began trotting forward, pulling the chariot along behind it.
Dak walked alongside the chariot, it was his task to escort it to the top of the hill. Jess followed behind him. Technically there was no law against civilians sharing the road with military transport.
“Dak,” she whispered, “what did that woman mean?”
“Predicting how productive the breeder will be” Dak responded.
The chariot rumbled down the street. Most civilians were aware of the military transports at sunset but they averted their eyes as the chariot passed them. Before long the chariot was climbing the hill to the Breeding Facility, a grandiose mansion. It’s lawn hadn’t been tended in decades, but the building itself was well maintained.
“Stay here,” Dak muttered to Jess, “No civilians allowed inside the gates.” The chariot and soldiers passed through the gates as Jess waited outside. They parked the chariot outside the front door and Dak helped the other soldiers pull the woman out, carrying her to the door. The door opened before them and a harsh white light spilled out across the lawn. Inside the doorway stood two humans dressed in medical scrubs. Beyond them Dak could see a long hallway leading off into the mansion. From somewhere deep within he could hear a baby crying.
“Priestess says three and she’ll live,” said the soldier to Dak’s right as he pushed the woman into the arms of the doctors. “Four and she’ll die.”
One of the doctor’s hastily scribbled notes onto a clipboard.
With the delivery complete, the doctors brought the woman inside and closed the doors, leaving the front lawn in darkness once more. With their work done, the soldiers were free to return to the barracks and rest.
Dak turned to walk back towards the gates where Jess stood. Surely she would have plenty of questions for him. But for Dak, this was a daily routine.
Dak wondered how long it would be until another settlement made an open attack against the wall. He hoped he’d be on patrol that day to protect his city. There was no time to dwell on it though. The sun had set, which meant that the electric vehicles would return soon.
Dak made his way along the wall to the front gates of the city. There he found Jess Vannar waiting for him by the guard shack. He climbed down from the wall and approached her.
“Hey Jess,” he said, “I take it my gloves are repaired?”
Jess smiled, reaching into her bag she produced a pair of leather gloves and presented them to Dak.
“Obviously,” She said with a smile, “I had some extra material left over, so I’ve added extra padding to the knuckles, so you won’t bruise them while training.”
Dak took the gloves from Jess and put them on. He stretched his fingers inside them, then balled his right hand into a fist and punched into his other hand to test the padding.
“Wow, thanks Jess,” he said. “I knew I could count on you. Are we still planning to hang out next week for the festival?”
As they were talking the sound of a car horn blaring sounded from the other side of the wall. Three legion soldiers rushed out from the guard shack to open the gates as the electric cars approached the city. As the gates were thrown open a woman emerged from the guard shack. She was old, dressed in green religious garb with a wrinkled face that looked as it it hadn’t smiled in years.
Dak turned to Jess. “Actually, let’s talk later Jess, I don’t think you want to see this.”
Jess shook her head, “No, I will watch. I know what’s going to happen, turning a blind eye won’t change it.”
As she spoke, the first electric vehicle drove through the gates. The sky was now dark so the headlights of the car cast eerie shadows along the road. Its rusting brakes screeched as it came to a halt. The three soldiers nearest the car walked to the side and threw the door open.
As Dak and Jess looked on, the soldiers pulled a woman from the back seat. She was bound with rope and her mouth had been gagged. Her eyes were wide in terror and she struggled against her bonds as the soldiers dragged her out into the street. Jess gasped as the soldiers forced the woman to kneel on the ground. As for Dak, he had already seen these events play out before and had become desensitized to them. All he had to do was wait to do his part of the job.
The priestess in green stepped towards the woman, her expression never changing. She pulled a lighter from her pocket and sparked it. She used the flame to shine a soft light onto the woman’s face. The priestess used her other hand to hold the woman’s head in place as she continued to struggle.
The priestess looked into her eyes for a while before reaching up and grabbing the woman’s hair. Jess winced behind Dak as the priestess yanked a clump of hair from the woman’s head. The woman let out a terrified scream which could only barely be heard through her gag.
The priestess held the lighter beneath the strands, allowing them to catch fire. She allowed them to burn for a few seconds before tossing them to the ground.
“She will bear three children,” said the priestess, “Tell the doctors that she will die on the fourth, the child’s fate is unknown.”
With that the priestess turned and walked away. More soldiers arrived with a chariot and the woman was loaded inside. The driver cracked his whip and the horse began trotting forward, pulling the chariot along behind it.
Dak walked alongside the chariot, it was his task to escort it to the top of the hill. Jess followed behind him. Technically there was no law against civilians sharing the road with military transport.
“Dak,” she whispered, “what did that woman mean?”
“Predicting how productive the breeder will be” Dak responded.
The chariot rumbled down the street. Most civilians were aware of the military transports at sunset but they averted their eyes as the chariot passed them. Before long the chariot was climbing the hill to the Breeding Facility, a grandiose mansion. It’s lawn hadn’t been tended in decades, but the building itself was well maintained.
“Stay here,” Dak muttered to Jess, “No civilians allowed inside the gates.”
The chariot and soldiers passed through the gates as Jess waited outside. They parked the chariot outside the front door and Dak helped the other soldiers pull the woman out, carrying her to the door. The door opened before them and a harsh white light spilled out across the lawn. Inside the doorway stood two humans dressed in medical scrubs. Beyond them Dak could see a long hallway leading off into the mansion. From somewhere deep within he could hear a baby crying.
“Priestess says three and she’ll live,” said the soldier to Dak’s right as he pushed the woman into the arms of the doctors. “Four and she’ll die.”
One of the doctor’s hastily scribbled notes onto a clipboard.
With the delivery complete, the doctors brought the woman inside and closed the doors, leaving the front lawn in darkness once more. With their work done, the soldiers were free to return to the barracks and rest.
Dak turned to walk back towards the gates where Jess stood. Surely she would have plenty of questions for him. But for Dak, this was a daily routine.